Minnesota Current and Former Customers of Frontier Eligible for Rebates, Bill Credits Following Settlement
**Minnesotans urged to apply before July 20 deadline**
SAINT PAUL, MN – Current and former customers of Frontier Communications may be eligible for rebates or bill credits for certain past service quality and reliability problems. Those eligible are urged to act fast because the settlement claim period lasts 90-days beginning on April 13, 2020 and ending July 20, 2020.
“Thousands of Minnesotans across the state may be entitled to rebates or bill credits from this settlement,” said Commerce Commissioner Steve Kelley. “Current and former Frontier customers should review the settlement categories soon to see if they qualify. The window to make claims is open now through July.”
Applications for refund or bill credit have been mailed to Frontier customers and are also available online at https://frontier.com/forms/minnesota-bill-credit
The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission ordered the rebates and bill credits, consistent with negotiated terms reached between the Minnesota Department of Commerce and Frontier. Customers of Frontier Communications of Minnesota, Inc. and Citizens Telecommunications of MN, LLC, collectively referred to as Frontier, should have received notice from Frontier in bill inserts and direct mail starting on April 13, 2020.
“This settlement provides some relief to those who dealt with less than adequate service,” said Commissioner Kelley. Nearly two thousand people from across the state came forward with concerns and complaints about Frontier’s practices, unreliable service and being overcharged for their phone service.
“It is important to note that both current and past Frontier customers may be eligible,” added Kelley.
The complaints, investigation and settlement resulted in the following categories for which a former or current Frontier customer may claim a refund or bill credit.
- Telephone was out-of-service and not restored within 24 hours.
- Incorrect billing for service related to vacation rate.
- Late fees charged for phone service despite bill being paid on or before due date.
- Frontier did not cancel telephone service upon request, resulting in additional charges.
- Charged to receive a paper bill for telephone service.
- Charged for three-way calling without subscribing to the service.
- Wrongly charged for directory assistance or 411 calls.
- Charged an early termination fee on or after January 1, 2016, without having signed an agreement.
- Inappropriately charged fees to reconnect telephone service.
- Telephone disconnected without proper notice.
- Refusal to install local telephone service.
- Inability to use the telephone due to static, cross talk, or other notice.
- Installation delay of more than 3 business days for primary local service line.
- Same trouble on the same line within 30 days.
- Frontier missed a repair appointment for telephone service.
- Customer service representation claimed no trouble report exists from an earlier call regarding the same phone issue.
The above categories of complaint addressed a significant portion of the complaints received from Frontier’s Minnesota consumers. But, consumers should be aware that the Department is continuing to investigate issues that were not settled, including the following:
- Customers not being informed that stand-alone telephone service is available with no additional features.
- Customers being told that local telephone service cannot be disconnected without losing internet service.
- Customers being told you cannot purchase internet service without also purchasing telephone service.
- Customer is paying $29.99 for Digital Phone Essentials package that includes 30 minutes of long distance service, but the customer is unaware that Digital Essentials is available for $21.99 if the customer wishes to pay for long distance service only when it is used.
- Customer is paying $39.99 (or more) for the Digital Phone Unlimited package, which includes unlimited long distance service, but the customer is unaware that Digital Essentials is available for $21.99 if the customer wishes to pay for long distance service only when it is used.
Frontier Communications of Minnesota, Inc., and its affiliate, Citizens Telecommunications of Minnesota, LLC, provide telephone service to approximately 75,000 Minnesota households and businesses, as well as internet service to many more households, in many parts of rural Minnesota and the Twin Cities metro area.
Applications for refund or bill credit are online at https://frontier.com/forms/minnesota-bill-credit
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